#358: Ruling on when the Mu’adhin should say As-Salātu Khayrun Min An-Nawm’ ‘As-Salātu Khuyran Min An-Nawm'” on the First or Second Call to Prayer

“What adhan should come 1st in fajr prayer, is it of asalatu or one without asolatu.”

ANSWER

Alhamdulillāh; this is a matter about which there is difference of opinion among the Fuqahaa.

The Maalikis and the Hanbalis hold the dominant view that the ‘Tathweeb’ (saying ‘As-Salaatu Khayrun Min An-Nawm’) should be said on the second adhaan.

This is also a view in the Shaafi’i and Hanafi madh’hab and the more correct view – inshaa Allah – as contrary to the verdict of the Zaahiriyya and that of Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddin Al-Albaani – rahimahullah. And this is for the following reasons:

1. In the Hadith of Abi Mahdhuura – radiyallaahu anhu – he said:

“I used to make Adhaan for the Messenger of Allaah – salallaahu alayhi wasallaam – and I used to say in the FIRST ADHAAN of Fajr ‘Hayya Alaa al-Falaah; As-Salaatu Khayrun Min an-Nawm; As-Salaatu Khayrun Min an-Nawm; Allaahu Akbar; Allaahu Akbar; Laa ilaha Illaa Allah”

Transmitted and Recorded by Imaam Abu Dawud in the Sunan #500, and An-Nasa’i #647 and declared Sahih by Al-Albaani in Sunan Abi Daawud

And in the Hadith of Ibn Umar – radiyallaahu anhuma – he said:

“It (the sunnah) used to be, during the FIRST adhaan, after the ‘Falaah’ the wording ‘As-Salaatu Khayrun Min an-nawm'”

Transmitted and Recorded by Imaam At-Tahaawi 1/82 and Haafidh in the Talkhis 3/169 and declared Sahih by Al-Albaani in Ath-Thamru Al-Mustataab 131

But We do not follow the on-sight impression that this Hadith gives us because;

1. Other wordings of the Hadith clearly mentions the wordings to be in the Adhaan of Subh.

Narrated from Abi Mahdhuurah – radiyallaahu anhu – “And he used to say by FaJR, the wordings ‘As-Salaatu Khayrun Min an-Nawm”

Transmitted and Recorded by Imaam Abu Daawud 504 and declared Sahih by Shaykh Al-Albaani – rahimahullah.

Also in the Hadith of Anas bn Maalik, he said:

“of the Sunnah is that when the Mu’adhin says the Adhaan of Fajr, and says ‘ Hayya Ala Al-Falaah’, he says: ‘As-Salaatu Khayrun Min An-Nawm’ ‘As-Salaatu Khayrun Min An-Nawm'” transmitted and recorded by Ad-Daraqutuni and Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sunan. Al-Albaani says: ‘its Isnaad is Sahih’

(Ath-Thamru Al-Mustataab pg 132).

The wordings in these last two transmissions clearly mentions that the ‘tathweeb’ is in the adhaan of Fajr, and it is known that the adhaan of fajr is the adhaan that is made after the fajr has appeared and not that which is made at the end of the night and customarily known as the first adhaan of fajr.

This is because in the Hadith recorded by both Imaam al-Bukhaari and Imaam Muslim, the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallam – said:

“When the time of Salaat comes in, then let one of you make the adhaan for you”

This means that the adhaan of every salaat is made only after its time has set in.

And He – salallaahu alayhi wasallaam – particularly mentioned the essence of the first adhaan made for subh which is done at the last part of the night when he said that its essence was – as is in the Hadith –

((ليرح القائم ويوقظ النائم))
“To notify the one who is praying to rest and to wake the one who is asleep” (As-Sahihayn)

Thus, the first adhaan made when the time of Subh approaches – that’s at the last period of the night – is not made due to the Salaat of Fajr itself but for the reason stated by the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallaam- which is to wake those who are asleep and to rest those who are praying, and not for Fajr salaat itself.

2. So, why was it mentioned in those first two Hadith ‘FIRST’ adhaan of Subh/Fajr?

The fact is that in several ahaadith, the Rasul – salallaahu alayhi wasallaam – refer to the Adhaan and the Iqaamah as the two adhans of every salaat; such as it was narrated in the Sahihayn:

((بين كل أذانين صلاة)) ‏ “everything Between any two adhaans is already in Salaat” ‎

What that means is that whosoever observes the rites of silence between the adhaan and the Iqaamah of every Salaat will be registered as performing the Salaat and be rewarded thereby. Similar one is narrated by Imaam Muslim in his Sahih #739.
These are the reasons for which most of the Fuqahaa, as mentioned above, say that the ‘Tathweeb’ should be made during the second Call of Subh and not the first.

What we have mentioned here is the same position held by Shaykh Bin Baz, Shaykh Abdullah Al-Qa’ud. Shaykh al-Uthaymin, Shaykh Al-Fawzaan, and most of the Ulamaa of the Hijaaz and Najd; and Shaykh Muhammad Saalim Adud, Shaykh Muraabitu Al-Haaj, Shaykh Abdullah bn Bayyah, Shaykh Muhammad Al-Hassan bn Ad-Daduw Ash-Shanqeeti among the Mauritanian Scholars.

As for what Shaykh Al-Albaani and most of the salafi scholars in this country hold as opinion, it is based on the Zaahir (apparent) of the first two Ahaadith we quoted and we have explained the falsity of that.

However, this is not among the matters about which we should divide the Ummaah, so if you visit a vicinity in which the people make the ‘tathweeb’ during the first call, you do not need to create a stir.

Allāhu A’alam.

Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لاإله إلا أنت نستغفرك ونتوب إليك

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